Would you expect to pay?

[daydream**believer]

So my tenants rang me last week to ask if my electricity was on.

I said it was and they tell me that theres isnt.

They said the safety switch is off and when they try to flick it back on, it goes straight off again.

I asked if they had unplugged appliances and was told, yes, they have unplugged everything.

So, i call our electrician.

He says, due to the torrential rain we had had, there may be water damage in the roof or something similar.

He goes to the house, has a look around. Goes in the garage and sees a power board has been left plugged in, switched on and sitting in the garage doorway which is a big puddle of water.

He switches it off, goes inside, flicks the safety switch and it stays on.

He checks out in the roof just to be sure and checks the power board readings and sees nothing else that would cause the power to go out.

He says he will wait a few days to send the bill as we were expecting more big rain and if the power goes out again, then we know there is another problem.

Well, we had more rain. They had no black out and ive now got an electrician bill.

So, as a tenant, would you expect to pay this bill? It was completely their fault after all

Im taking it over to them tomorrow and i expect them to not be happy and i am ready to put them in their place if they have a whinge.

And if they winge too much, the next form they get will be to tell them get out

[freddie*rooster]

I have been a tenant for many years, if this same scenario happened whilst I was a tenant I would check every  power point prior to contacting the landlord/RE. If I failed to check things properly and the end result was a bill I would be annoyed at my own stupidity, but I would pay the bill.

[j*oono]

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@12elliemellie wrote:

Dubbo?

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[youcandoityoucandoityoucandoit]

thats cause you are reasonable and every landlord would love a tenant like you freddie! (smiley)

[j*oono]

I should add that yes, I think they should pay the bill.  Do you mean a power board attached to a power point that you plug things into?  

It was a bit silly of them and it's lucky that there is a safety switch to protect them from killing themselves.

[lakeland27]

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@daydream**believer wrote:

really?

Ive been a landlord for the last 12 years and have only started having problems with this tenant in the last year

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  as if i would have any idea. i was joking mostly, i see the old mate Wulf reads all kinds of paranoid boltisms into it too.

 i would expect them to pay, being clueless in regard to electricity is bound to cost something.

[Anonymous]

Why say anything to them... you should pay the bill then send them an itemized invoice for the costs.  Attach a copy of the electricians bill if you like but you should also add any extra outgoing costs you incurred.  Keep it simple and professional. It's a business transaction.  

[*mrgrizz*]

isn't this house right next door?

[*pepe]

i would expect them to pay but i would be mailing the bill to them via registered mail, they have to sign for it so cannot say they didn't get it.

[givemeaspell]

Are you assuming they are not going to be happy to pay?  I think they will realise they are liable for this cost?  It's like if you ring up Telstra or Optus and they tell you they will come out and have a look but if its your fault you will pay.  So it's their fault they left the powerboard in the water (how dangerous for them), perhaps you need to point that out to them as well.

[izabsmiling]

An Electrical Fault or failure is considered an urgent repair (if a landlord fails to address an urgent repair the tenant can I think get a tradesman in to the cost of about 5% of the yearly rent ?) , the tenant is obligued to notify the landlord of any damages asap and not intentionally or deliberately damage the premises .

I wouldn't expect to as a Landlord though I think I may have to ?